A Demon's Nightmare: Ravana's Confessions
by CallMeKovacs
Summary: Nancy and Quentin are struggling to stay alive, while Krueger gains in demonic ranks. What will happen if he gets much stronger? Who will save them when they can't save themselves? Their prayers might be answered by none other than a Demon herself, who pledged to do what was good for all of mankind. Maybe there's a way to survive after all. *OC included* * Updated daily*
1. Demonic Savior to the Rescue

The spasmodic flashes of light pouring from the laptop on Ravana's desk was starting to give her a migraine. She'd been searching most of the day-because what were the odds he'd actually killed them all? It couldn't be true. She couldn't and wouldn't accept that. In a flurry of poorly manicured nails and quick finger tips, she'd punched in two words.

Nancy Holbrook.

She waited impatiently while the Demon-Survivor Database blinked 'loading'. Her dark blue eyes skimmed the article her system had retrieved. Without thinking, she read what she skimmed aloud:

"Holbrook. 18. Springwood…" Her eyes skimmed the rest of the article at full speed. And finally rested on the words:

"Status: Alive".

Ravana closed the laptop for a brisk moment to think. If the Holbrook girl was alive did she even need to intervine? Krueger couldn't have possibly done that much damage…Not if the girl was surviving. She sat back on her hotel room bed and had just closed her eyes when the pager connected to her belt let out three sharp beeps.

"Shit! He's just now staging a code blue attack?"

The clock read 2:45 a.m.

She grabbed two revolvers on her nightstand, eagerly checked her ammo supply, and grabbed the bag containing her laptop. She rushed from the room in such a hurry that she almost knocked a couple that had been passionately making out on the steps onto the sidewalk. At the last second she had somersaulted over them in Olympic fashion and jumped the open window of her Blue Camaro. The couple stared in amazement and Ravana grinned her devilish grin.

As she righted herself in the driver's seat-She jammed the keys into the ignition, started the car and was careening around the corner at a break-neck speed of 245mph. Suddenly, a heavily graffitied wall was looming in front of Ravana-Her blue lips curled back to reveal a well assured smirk and she floored the accelerator. For a moment time seemed to stand still and then it was over. She had passed through the barrier and she was sitting in front of a dilapidated old building. A sign out front let her know she was sitting in the parking lot of 'Badham Preschool'. She recognized the name from Krueger's file on the Demon-Survivor database.

Ravana snapped and the car automatically cut off and turned invisible. The dream world was an interesting one to navigate and the most dangerous. Demons weren't supposed to cut into their own kind's territory. Ravana's unique position of being 1/3rd human and 2/3rds shadow demon had afforded her the ability to become an agent for the common good of mankind. She was almost 5,000 years old and had been re-incarnated so many times she had lost count, but never lost a detail of any life she had lived previously. A shadow darting to her left pulled her out of her reverie halfway up the steps to the door. She stood still and inhaled deeply.

Hell Hounds.

And close by too.

She heard a definitive snarl from the bushes behind her and turned in time to see a hulking form of a beast rise up from the roots and pounce. In the thin moonlight, she could see the exposed skeletal frame of the beast.

"Damn. I miscalculated. It's a Bone Beast. .." She mused while wrestling with the large animal. It's claws came dangerously close to tearing into her cheek, and she kicked it in the spinal column. It teetered away walking at an odd angle with its spine twisted crookedly. Ravana sat up and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Maybe I should take some refresher courses on my Creature Identification Skills?" She grumbled standing up and rushing to the front door. She knew where there was one Bone Beast there would be a whole pack. Armed with that knowledge, she crept inside the structure and rounded the corner. Two sweet faced children guarded the door to where Ravana presumed the basement/ boiler room was. Per her usual arrogant manner, Ravana misjudged her adversaries and confidently strode over to the two youngsters.

"Step aside children-" She insisted, pushing the two light haired children from the door. The little girl giggled, grabbed Ravana's arm and twisted it firmly behind her back. The little boy smiled and pushed a serrated knife under her throat.

"No way Jose. You aren't going to bother Mister Krueger." He stated in a bubbly child-like manner.

Ravana gagged.

Hell Spawn.

How had she not smelled them before? They reeked of rot and piss, and in their true form they looked like little devils. Ravana looked heavenward and sighed. All this for one survivor? Why? She sighed even more deeply before using her other hand to grab her revolver and blowing the little boy's face off. The girl let go shrieking:

"YOU BITCH! YOU STUPID BITCH!"

"You'll join him soon enough." She mumbled unloading the last of her clip into the childish demon's form. The girl fell backward with a gurgled and laid in the floor limp. Ravana grinned and let herself go full shadow demon. Her skin changed from fair to gray. Her blue eyes shined a bit more, and her hair went from full black to black with two blue streaks on the right. Bursting through the door and stomping down the stairs. She was faced with two teens running for them. The girl screamed-her long brown hair choking her. The boy scrambled past Ravana in a hurry. The girl seemed frozen.

"Nancy?" Ravana asked.

The girl shook in fear. Ravana gently pushed her toward the boy, crooning softly:

"It's okay, I just wanted to make sure…"

Ravana stopped cold as she turned around, and found herself face to face with Krueger himself. He smirked and she caught him with a kick to the groin. He faltered on the stairs for a brief moment. When that didn't work. She grabbed for her gun and shot him in the chest. He tumbled down the stairs, but quickly stood up again and sprinted for the door, and landing beyond her. Ravana screeched and threw the door shut.

The two teens looked at her for guidance. She sighed and looked at them evenly.

"RUN!"

And with that-The group ran for the yard outside.

"Uh-What's that?" The boy pointed. Ravana's blood went cold. In the yard-The Bone Beast had found some friends. Behind them, Krueger chuckled.

"No way out now, huh?"

Ravana looked at both the beasts cornering them and Krueger blocking their re-entrance. Freddy yelled "Dinner." And the Bone Beasts advanced as Krueger closed the door laughing coldly.

The teens looked wild-eyed at the scene before them.

"I'll distract them, you guys get to the Camaro." She whispered urgently while taking the invisibility feature off the car. They looked at her doubtfully. The beasts were only a dozen or so feet away.

"My name is Ravana. I'm with the good guys, Once we get back to the real world, I'll explain everything."

Both teens nodded and got in position to run.

"On the count of three." Ravana mumbled,

"One…" The seconds ticked by.

"Two…" Ravana reached for her ammo belt and pulled out a star shaped metal disk.

"Three!" She shouted, throwing the disk and blowing up the majority of the Bone Beasts. The teens and Ravana scrambled to the car. Once everyone was safely inside Ravana pushed some levers and pushed the car into reverse speeding backwards as fast as she could. After a moment or so, she found herself back in the alley way where the graffiti wall was. Both teenagers disappeared. They'd woken up. With that Ravana smiled transformed back into her usual non-suspicion arousing form and headed to the seedy hotel. She figured she'd rest before setting off to find the kids again. She'd promised to explain what was going on., and Ravana always kept her promises.

***Ravana is my own original character. I own her and everything about her history and equipment.**

**-CMK***


	2. Tension Rising

Friday morning found both Nancy Holbrook and Quentin Smith in their first block class, AP English. Quentin monitored Nancy through the whole lecture. He'd panic every time her eyelids would come dangerously close to fluttering shut-but suddenly they'd come springing open and Nancy would nod that she was fine. This continued until 11:30. In the hallway, Quentin opened his locker, removed a medicine bottle and took four pills from it. He swallowed two for himself and clutched the other two in his hand to present to Nancy. He found her lying in the nurse's office.

"Hey-what happened in class? I was worried about you-then I couldn't find you after class…" He started uncertain if he was sounding like a clingy child. Nancy half smiled, although Quentin observed, it didn't quite reach her eyes. She sighed and held her hand out. Quentin placed the pills into her hand, and her slender fingers closed around them. She asked for a cup of water, and Quentin handed her a bottle from his bookbag.

"Sorry-It's probably hot now." He said awkwardly as a silence settled around he and Nancy. She nodded but said nothing in response. The two looked at one another for the longest time.

"Who was she? I've never seen her before-and she knew my name…" Nancy said aloud. She remembered being almost killed by Krueger and then saved by that mysterious girl. Nancy was almost sure the other girl was one of Krueger's kind, but had a totally different agenda that had nothing to do with revenge and murdering innocent people. Quentin looked at her dubiously.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable. She's probably one of Krueger's mind games, or have you forgotten he likes to play those?" He mumbled bitterly. Nancy cut him a malevolent glare. Quentin bit his lip afraid he'd gone too far.

"Nance-I'm sorry…I…" Quentin stumbled over his words.

**BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!**

Nancy grabbed her phone and observed the number wasn't displayed on the small screen of her Motorola Razr. She flipped the screen open and clicked 'open' on the message display screen. Her breath caught. Quentin leaned over her, and gasped in astonishment.

'I promised to explain everything-I'll meet you in the parking lot after school.-R'

Quentin's mouth went dry and he closed the phone for Nancy. His thoughts were racing. What if this **was **one of Krueger's tricks-but if it were, how could she manifest in the real world? If she was really on Krueger's side-Why would she attack him? It could have been a clever ruse…That was true, but why did even the other girl seem a bit apprehensive of him.

"Come on." Nancy was getting up and gathering her things for lunch "We only have two more blocks to go and then we'll know everything. I suggest you write down any questions you'd like to know-I will be."

Quentin nodded and followed Nancy to lunch. The pair began writing their questions as soon as they sat down at the table. The rest of the day dragged by in slow motion, but as soon as the bell signaled the end of the day-both teenagers ran toward the parking lot at full speed. Unfortunately, today the whole baseball team chose to occupy the hallway. Quentin cringed. When Jesse had been alive-those guys wouldn't dare mess with him, but now-he was fair game. As he and Nancy surged down the hallway, one of the pitchers caught Quentin squarely in the chest knocking him against the wall. Quentin exhaled as pain shot through his body.

"Where you going in a hurry now Bitch Boy?" The swarthy pitcher intoned dramatically.

Quentin held his breath while mentally gagging. The Pitcher, Tony Rodenza, had the most disgusting breath that had ever been expelled from a human mouth. Quentin squirmed and Tony and his gang laughed with booming baritones.

"You talk so much so much shit Tony, I can smell it on your breath." Quentin sputtered as the team went silent.

Nancy pushed past them and grabbed Quentin's hand. An outfielder named Andy crushed her fingers and pushed her back to the outer circle, where the team blocked her from getting to her boyfriend. She cried out in protest as Tony raised his fist in prime punching position. Quentin looked at him coldy. Tony hesitated.

"You don't got no balls if you don't hit him!" Another team mate called.

Tony's arm locked.

"Sorry Bitch Boy. Team orders…" Tony sneered.

Quentin closed his eyes and braced for impact. If he had to take a pounding, he decided, he wouldn't cry. He just wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing it hurt. After the impact didn't come in a timely manner, Quentin ventured to open one eye. Tony's attention was on a woman at the other end of the hallway striding toward them, black and blue streaked hair flowing behind her like a superhero's cape.

"Hot damn." Andy whistled letting his gaze drop to her voluminous curves.

Ravana was wearing her usual black lace and blue cotton corset, a black mini skirt with blue fishnet overlay and green embroidered crosses, and her shiny black pumps. She rolled her eyes.

"Men in this time are disgusting." She complained, pushing her way through the crowd of hormone-ridden teenage meat heads, and pulling Tony's arm down.

"I'd appreciate if you'd let my friend go." Ravana said smiling coyly.

Tony appraised her.

"I'd appreciate if you'd suck my-" He was cut short by a blow to the jaw. Ravana and Quentin's heads snapped to their immediate right. Nancy lowered her arm as Tony fell against his friends, releasing Quentin. Nancy looked from Ravana to Quentin casually.

"What? I'm tired of his bullshit. I deal with enough of that from-"

She stopped herself and grabbed her two companions, dragging them toward the door.

"Besides, I have a ton of questions for you." Nancy whispered nervously. Quentin grabbed her hand and squeezed it as they walked into the parking lot. Ravana skipped to her Camaro and started it up. Nancy got into her vehicle and Quentin climbed into his Jeep. Ravana pulled out of her space and behind Quentin and Nancy's cars.

"I'll meet you both at the Springwood Diner. We'll talk then and I'm hungry." She sped off.

Quentin looked at Nancy puzzled.

"I thought it didn't open until 6:00…"

Nancy looked blankly at him.

"I work there, so I have a key…" She said softly.

Quentin smiled.

"What's the problem then? Huh?"

Nancy looked at him darkly.

"We'll be alone with her." She whispered frightened, but knowing it was their only chance to get answers.

Without so much as another word she backed out of her space with Quentin following, after about fifteen minutes they pulled up in front of the Diner. Ravana was already waiting.

***~ Reviews are welcomed and Appriciated.-CMK ~***


	3. Interactive Interrogation

"Do you have any more steak sauce?" Ravana asked through gulpfuls of raw hamburger. Quentin laughed, he couldn't really help it. Ravana looked so goofy with globs of steak sauce around her mouth. Nancy scowled and set the 13th bottle in front of her.

"Look…Ravana? I don't think my boss is going to like that most of his sauce and hamburger inventory is missing. Can you just get to the point?" Nancy sighed gathering the empty bottles and tossing them in the garbage. Ravana looked sadly at the remaining dribble of sauce on her burger meat and downed it all whole. Nancy and Quentin jumped back in disgust and surprise. Ravana looked up innocently.

"What?!" She exclaimed looking around, as she pulled out her revolvers taking aim somewhere over Quentin's head. He yelped and ducked away. Nancy pushed her hands down.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU CAN'T GO BLOWING HOLES INTO THE WALLS OF THIS PLACE!" Nancy yelled savagely. "It's so poorly made it'll probably fall down around us!" She added as an after thought.

Ravana blinked at her a few times.

"You were both staring-I thought it was code for something was wrong! I was going to defend us!" Ravana yelled back in defense. Nancy sighed in annoyance and instead sat down on the opposite side of the booth, and looked at Ravana reproachfully. Ravana stared scathingly back at her.

"I really don't like your body language Holbrook." Ravana spat viciously. Nancy looked at her cooly.

"Until I can figure you out-I suggest you get over it." She retorted snootily. Quentin squeezed her arm and whispered:

"Uh, Nance-Maybe you shouldn't provoke her. I mean, remember, we don't know what she's capable of…" He trailed off and smiled at Ravana who was tearing open sugar packets and gobbling the contents up quickly. "I mean, she looks innocent enough. Right?"

Nancy reached over and smacked the packets from the demon's hands. Ravana looked up snarling. Nancy pulled the packet holder toward herself, and pointed a finger at Ravana.

"No. I don't have the energy or patience to deal with a hyper demon. Not now anyway."

Then, Nancy turned on Quentin enraged.

"Weren't you the one who said she was probably just Krueger's work so he could play mind games?!"

Ravana looked up sharply.

"Never put me and Krueger in the same caliber of beings!" She yelled, her voice raised one octave and her face went scarlet. She glared indifferently at the pair. "I came to help you and this is how you thank me? Degrading me by pulling **him **into this and comparing us?! Honestly, the lot of the human race has gone entirely daft and ungrateful!" She finished in a huff. "I came to answer your questions and-Oh! Never mind. I'll let you both be. You clearly don't need my help."

Ravana stood up and gathered her laptop. Nancy watched her walk out the door, and get into her car. After thirty seconds of searching through the dashboard-Ravana had re-entered the restaurant with an index card. She hastily shoved it in Nancy's face and stood with her arms crossed. Nancy's eyes widened and brimmed with tears for a moment. Then she looked up pitifully and moaned in sorrow. Quentin took the card from her trembling hands, and his breath caught-

"What exactly are you playing at? This is from her-"

"Mother: Gwen Holbrook. Status: Deceased-Murdered by Krueger." Ravana recited with no feeling what so ever. "I know. I spoke to her-Briefly." Ravana mumbled slowly. Nancy looked up as tears streaked her face.

"My mother is dead. It's impossible that you talked to her."

Ravana tapped a small vial hooked on her belt.

"Soul extraction and relocation. It's a basic skill for someone of my kind to learn." She said smugly, and with a flick of the wrist-the vial was gone. Nancy's eyes widened.

"Can you bring her back?" She asked softly, almost pleadingly. Ravana looked away uncomfortably.

"I can't reanimate people…for long periods of time."

Nancy's face fell as she looked down at the note. It read:

'**I love you so much Nancy.**

**XOXO, Mom'**

She looked back to Ravana.

"How did you come by this?"

Ravana sighed.

"I needed a lead on where I could find you. I happened upon your mother in a kind of purgatory. I recognized her from the D-S DB. I asked some questions, and she asked for a favor. She wanted me to help you, and give you that." Ravana pointed at the note. Nancy nodded.

"She loves you a great deal. I hope you know that." Ravana sighed wistfully, wishing her own mother had cared for her as much. Nancy looked her in the eyes and smiled for once.

"I know. I loved her to." She said finally. Then she looked up seriously.

"What are you doing here?"

"Protecting you. I don't think you'll hold up too much longer on your own, apparently Gwen didn't think so either. Her soul sent out the request I come here at all." Ravana said briskly in a professional tone.

Nancy mulled it over for a moment, shed one last tear and re-composed herself.

"Why are so against Krueger? Certainly he isn't the only demon in the world who's evil."

Ravana thought for a moment.

"That's true-but I can only avenge and protect those who ask me to. It's proper shadow protector etiquette. I was assigned to this region for this millennium. I will protect all who are in my district."

Quentin and Nancy nodded and pulled out their lists of questions. Ravana rolled her eyes and smacked herself playfully in the face.

"Damn. Lists? Really?" She sighed in mock annoyance and sat down once more. Nancy and Quentin started talking over one another.

"Easy! One question at a time!" Ravana laughed, placing a finger over each of their mouths.

"Decide who's going first. Okay?"

Nancy and Quentin looked at each other for a long moment. Ravana laughed a tinkly laugh.

"I'm so glad I found the last Badham student alive and healthy though…"

Quentin looked up astonished.

"I'm a Badham survivor too."

Ravana's eyes grew round in amazement and then it was her turn to recompose herself.

"Good thing I'm here then." She said darkly. "You'll need me."

The teens looked at her shocked. She blinked and then looked up again grinning her devilish grin.

"Any more questions?" She said patiently. "We have an hour left to discuss this before we should be going, so by all means, ask away." Ravana demanded.

**~ Interactive Time! At intervals throughout the story, I will allow the readers to make some decisions. This particular chapter-You may ask the questions that Nancy and Quentin have listed to ask their assigned guardian. PM your questions to me or leave them in the review section! I'll update the next chapter in about two-three days, so leave as many as you want. -CMK~**


	4. Interactive Interrogation 2

***Thanks for all the questions you guys PM-ed me! I think I'll take a few more before closing out the question portion of the story, so questions are still open to ask. –CMK***

"Why do we need protecting?" Nancy asked bewildered, "I mean, honestly, I think we're doing fine."

She grabbed Quentin's hand and he recoiled from her touch in revulsion. Nancy gazed at him in alarm. His warm eyes assured her he wasn't upset, so much as tired. Just tired in general.

"Nancy-We aren't doing fine. For god's sake, I doubt we sleep more than seven hours a week. I'm done pretending it's okay. It really isn't-Why push away someone who can grant us at least a small reprieve from Krueger's antics?! Why are you fighting this so hard?" Quentin's words tumbled out slightly slurred and aggravated. Nancy looked away from him.

"Because, I'm used to taking care of things on my own. Furthermore, she's one of his kind. What do you think matters more kinship or friendship?"

Her question hung in the air between the three ominously. Ravana cleared her throat sheepishly.

"I'm part human too." She whispered as she looked down and hid her face behind a curtain of hair.

Nancy and Quentin's eyes bulged out in disbelief, mouths agape in astonishment.

"It's true. I wasn't always this…this…" Ravana looked away for a moment, and in the waning light supplied by the window-Nancy observed a tear trickle down the other woman's cheek, "monster." Ravana finished plainly wiping her eyes on her wrist.

"I'm not like him. I only want to protect man from my kind who choose to work for darker forces. Anyway, Krueger is being inducted into an order of demons known as Hell's Seven Gatesmen. I haven't encountered more than two members ever, and I've lived for almost 5,000 years…" Her eyes darted around like she was grasping for a forgotten memory.

"What do the Gatesmen do?" Nancy asked touching Ravana's arm weakly. Ravana looked up and took Nancy and Quentin's hands into hers. She spoke clearly with a steady voice as she answered the best she could.

"Things you can't even imagine. In the old times-They formed cults on earth and sacrificed men, women, and children indiscriminately to their twisted idols. They used the corpses of the sacrificed as either portals in which to resurrect their own, or even worse dined on the flesh in homage to the dark elders…They had the power to ruin entire empires…" Her eyes glazed over and Quentin shook her, "Krueger was a very evil man on earth, and when he died. I cast his soul from purgatory to hell. I even watched the gates suck him in, but he was chosen…" She trailed off, "I wish now I had cleansed his soul first, but he just…The scent of pure-undiluted satanesque evil…It clung to him. I just lost all reason and…" She stopped and bit her lip. Quentin leaned forward eagerly. Nancy sat stone faced and unflinching.

"I came back to help you cast him into the furthest reaches of Hell, so far that he won't be able to be found by anyone." Ravana finished meekly.

Quentin gulped and looked absently at his hands.

"What exactly are nightmares?" Nancy asked, catching Ravana off guard-making the demon falter in her explanation.

"Nightmares…Well…Anglo-Saxon '_mare'_ , meant demon-which correlates to the Sanskrits '_mara' _meaning…destroyer? I think?..." Ravana considered things for a moment and continued, "…and '_mar'_ meaning to crush…so I guess theoretically- a proper definition of "'Nightmare" holds the connotation of being crushed by demonic forces." Ravana declared scholarly.

Nancy looked at the table in defeated, and Quentin looked vaguely impressed, but frightened. Ravana chuckled.

"If you lived my 17th century life, the village witch might be blamed for plaguing you with nightmares, so to counter it-your parents might tell you to place a knife under the foot of your bed so they can't sneak up on you…the steel blade repelled them." Ravana said conversationally.

Nancy looked up.

"Did it really work?" Nancy asked sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised at the unprecedented truths that lie in folklore." Ravana said sharply.

"If that were true, I can ban Krueger from my life with a steak knife?!" Quentin asked hopefully.

Ravana shook her head sadly.

"Afraid not. Demons now have access to 'override knowledge' and can get by much easier. In other words, they can consult the latest edition of the Demon's handbook. They're at their most powerful because the year ends in the number thirteen."

Quentin sighed and licked his lips, which were dry.

"How did you find us-other than from Gwen, I mean."

Ravana smiled.

"I used the DSDB. It can tell me anything-pull any file I need, or at least attempt to locate the files I need."

"The what?" Nancy asked with genuine curiosity.

"The Demon-Survivor Database."

The two teenagers nodded, their heads swimming with the things Ravana was presenting them with.

"Krueger is gaining in power…I mean, any low level demon can summon Bone Beasts…but Hell Spawn siblings are assigned as reinforcement…By my calculations, he's just now making the right connections. The thing most humans don't understand is that Hell is like Hollywood. It's all about connections…and if Krueger makes the right ones…He's bound to star in his own movie…which is to say-he'll become so strong I can't conquer him, and then…"

"He's the star of the show?" Nancy supplied.

"Precisely." Ravana concluded.

"So, what do we do?" Quentin asked in desperation.

Ravana smiled.

"What else my boy? We fight." Ravana said bravely.

Quentin looked away.

"I'm sick of fighting. I want to just be a normal kid. That's all I want."

Ravana sneered.

"Well, we don't always get what we want as easily as we wish. If you'll both train with me-We can get rid of him. I know we can. I pledge my loyalty, dedication, and life to keeping you both safe from him."

The demon's voice broke.

"Please…Please help me send him to Hell once and for all. Please?" She begged.

Quentin and Nancy looked at each other.

"We only have a few more questions, and then we can give you an answer." Nancy said unsympathetically. Ravana stiffened as she looked at the clock.

"Thirty minutes before we have to go. Ask your remaining questions." She said through clenched teeth as her lips curled back.

Nancy eyed her suspiciously.

Ravana's teeth were sharp as shark's teeth, and she looked angry.


	5. Reluctant Answers

"I'm not sure what else you really need to know." Ravana spat across the table. Quentin looked uneasily from her to Nancy. The three shared and awkward moment that not one of them could quite break.

"I don't want to trust you." Nancy said decisively as she shook her head. Ravana looked up at her as she took the forgotten plated away.

"Don't **want** to? That doesn't sound like you're so convinced yourself." The blue eyed demon quipped. Nancy gazed at her calmly.

"I'm not."

The honesty in her words caused Ravana to pause for a moment. Nancy took the opportunity to verbalize some of her thoughts.

"I don't **want **to, that's true-but, we can't do this anymore. Quentin's right." Nancy mumbled firmly. Quentin turned his head away remembering how defensive he'd gotten, and flushed crimson with both regret and embarrassment. He stared after her gratefully.

"What will it take to prove I'm not like him? You want my Demon-Vs.-Demon Exorcism Record Transfers?" Ravana chimed in exuberantly. Nancy poured the last of the coffee from the pot behind the counter and drank it slowly before asking:

"I'm not sure-Is that significant or something?"

Ravana gasped.

"Is it impo-…Is it important?! Of course it's important! I mean, I've only spend the last-several hundred or so millennia fighting those abominations, and my record proves it. I have seals from a dozen or so mentors. I'm certified and willing to help you. Don't take it for granted." Ravana was trembling with excitement so much the table started rattling. Quentin stood up and brushed himself off.

"You remember those sugar packets? Yeah-That crap was all over the table-Thanks so much." He grumpily mumbled at the enthusiastic woman. Ravana looked away bashfully.

"Sorry-I obtained several lacerations and the glucose helps the proteins in my skin heal themselves. Well, my demon skin that is."

Quentin looked at her quizzically.

"Aren't you always in demon skin?"

"Well, theoretically, yes-but I'm not entirely able to change until the time's right. My internal registry just knows. My demon skin looks slate grey-sometimes lighter if I'm weak, and-I can always feel when my demon side hurts. This me-" Ravana dramatically pointed to herself, "It's like a clever disguise. I can move around and others of my kind-They can't tell who I truly am until it's too late. I always keep the element of surprise in my arsenal. It's the only way I can do my job effectively."

"Right-Because shock blue, streaked hair is totally standard on most human beings." Nancy griped staring at the tell-tale streaks. Ravana sighed in exasperation.

"Do people of your time not dye their hair? Besides, I only kept it like this so you'd both recognize me today."

"How do you forget the mad woman who almost got you killed by freakish…demon…things." Quentin finished sarcastically teasing. Ravana blushed. Nancy grinned.

"I guess I do believe you, but I have one more question-" She trailed off awkwardly.

"Yes?" Ravana asked breathlessly. Nancy disappeared from view and replaced the few dirty dishes into their cabinets after a wash before being bothered to answer.

"What training do we have to do? I mean, is it basic combative skills or what? Because-in all honesty, I flunked gym class." Nancy retorted jokingly. Ravana smiled and opened the door to the diner as the three stopped to lock it up once more, and then turned to leave.

"We'll start tomorrow. I'll meet you at the park." Ravana ordered snappily.

Quentin nodded before checking his watch.

"Shit! The swim meet! I forgot! I gotta go!" He kissed Nancy roughly on the head before dashing to his jeep and jumping in. He sped off in the direction of Springwood High School. Nancy looked after him and rolled her eyes.

"He really thinks he'll make it to the Olympics." She grumbled distainfully. Ravana cast a sideways glance her way.

"What's so wrong with having dreams?"

Nancy looked coldly at her. Ravana gulped.

"I mean, goals." She amended. Nancy looked back at the ground and trudged in the direction of her house. It wasn't home since her mother had died, just an empty, lonely shell of what it used to be. She couldn't remember any good memories, only the bad since Krueger had taken his destructive toll on her life. Ravana extended an arm around her.

"Hey- I know what it's like…Losing someone you care about like that. Maybe, you'd be better off if you weren't so isolated? I mean-I get the whole tortured artist angle you're working here, but damn. No one should be this miserable."

Nancy stared at Ravana long and hard.

"I'm sorry. My mother and friends were mercilessly slaughtered by someone like you-pardon me if I don't warm up to you instantly or take your advice. Thanks." Nancy yelled angrily. Ravana sighed.

"I'm coming with you." She said finally.

Nancy halted mid-step.

"What?! That's the exact opposite of what I want you to do. Did you not just hear my teen-angst riddled quip? Or what?"

"I heard, but I'm choosing to ignore it."

Ravana jumped into the front seat of her Camaro and whipped it into drive.

"Meet you at your house!" She said smugly speeding off.

"Oh hell no…She didn't just…." Nancy gazed dumbfounded after a trail of blue exhaust smoke.

"Oh my god! I hate demons!" She screeched in irritation as she ran to her car parked on the other side of the building. In her haste to get away, she'd forgotten about it being there.

After driving full speed and failing to stop at four crosswalks, she arrived home to find the driveway empty, much to her satisfaction. Nancy cut the engine and removed the keys. Once she reached the front door she had already mostly forgotten about Ravana's outburst. As she touched the faux crystal door knob-she noticed no resistance to her touch, and the doorway fell open widely revealing her darkened foyer. Nancy looked around bewildered and slightly concerned.

"Come in!" A cheery voice called as the weight of someone's feet plodded thickly on the stairs.

Nancy looked up in confusion. Ravana looked back at her grinning with a toothbrush hanging out of the side of her mouth. She had changed into a pair of faded pajama pants and a pink knit short sleeved top that was freakishly to bright against her skin.

Nancy stared at her defiantly.

"Are those my pajamas? And that had better not be my toothbrush."

Ravana looked away guiltily.

"My lord! Have you never had a sleep over?" Nancy sighed in resignation. Ravana perked up.

"If you insist on staying we need boundaries. Okay?"

Ravana nodded appreciatively and flung herself over the banister. Nancy yelped in surprise as Ravana landed on her feet perfectly and hugged her.

"Oh thank you! Are we okay now?"

Nancy shrugged.

"I guess so."

Ravana grinned her famous devilish grin.

"Good because I have to tell you something…"

"What?" Nancy asked uneasily.

"I used your razor too."

Nancy stepped back in disgust.

"Oh my god! We seriously need to talk about boundaries over dinner!" Nancy said as seriously as she could manage. For once, she had let her guard down, and for a second, her house almost felt like home again.


End file.
